


In which Bucky loses an arm to keep Steve safe.

by Hils



Series: Tumblr Fics and Prompt Fills [5]
Category: Captain America (Movies)
Genre: Hurt/Comfort, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-16
Updated: 2014-06-16
Packaged: 2018-02-04 23:24:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,338
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1797148
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hils/pseuds/Hils
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Inspired by <a href="http://kaciart.tumblr.com/post/84758901453">this art</a>. Bucky's arm is damaged while protecting Steve</p>
            </blockquote>





	In which Bucky loses an arm to keep Steve safe.

The air is so thick with dust that Bucky can barely see, and it’s getting hard to breathe. They should have known this was a trap. Finding this place had been too easy. Steve had insisted it was fine, though. Was convinced the intel was good. 

Brilliant tactician though he may be, Steve was an idiot sometimes. He was so eager to chase down any leads on the HYDRA scientists that had turned Bucky into the Winter Soldier that sometimes he didn’t think, which was something they were going to need to have a conversation about when they got out of this place. 

The facility had blown almost as soon as they were through the door and it was only by some miracle that Bucky was still in one piece. He has no idea where Steve is. 

“Steve?” Bucky calls and coughs when that just causes him to inhale more dust. Steve had been in front of him when the place had gone up so Bucky stumbles in that general direction. Bucky’s never been the praying type but at this moment he offers up silent pleas to anyone who will listen that Steve is still alive. If he’s not Bucky vows right there to find the first HYDRA scientist he can and get them to wipe him again, because becoming the Winter Soldier would be a lesser Hell than living in a world without Steve Rogers.

He stumbles around for a few more minutes with a litany of _don’t be dead, don’t be dead, don’t be dead_ repeating in his head until he literally trips over Steve’s prone form.

For a heart-sinking moment Bucky think that he’s too late. Steve is pale, coated in dust and most of his face is covered in blood which is still seeping sluggishly from a cut at the top of his head.

Bucky drops to his knees and pulls Steve into his lap.

“Don’t you leave me, you punk.”

He slumps with relief when, after the slowest minute in the world, Steve lets out a weak cough and then falls still again.

“You just want me to carry you out of here, don’t you?” Bucky grumbles as he carefully wipes some of the grime from Steve’s face. “How come there’s no one ever around to photograph me heroically rescuing you but when you’re pulling my ass out of the fire all the papers in the world are there?”

The place is starting to fall down around them now and the far end of the building is on fire. He should probably focus on getting Steve out of there and give him a hard time later when he’s actually awake to hear it.

“Okay, buddy, let’s go.”

He moves to pick Steve up but is barely on his feet when a smaller explosion knocks him back down. He barely has time to register the wall toppling towards them before he throws up his metal arm to brace it and curls himself around Steve to protect it from any further debris. 

He’s never tested the limits of his metal arm before, or if he has the memory has since been removed, so he has no idea how much he can hold or for how long.

“Steve,” he grunts as he tries to put more of his weight behind his arm. “Steve, pal, you need to wake up now. I don’t know how much longer I can keep this up.”

His arm is creaking under the weight now. It doesn’t hurt. The arm is part of him but it’s not connected to any of his nerves. Pain makes him less efficient. The only thing hurting him right now is the thought that if his arm gives out he could still wind up losing Steve and that’s not an option. 

He pushes harder and his arm starts sparking as a tear appears along one of the joints. He doesn’t care. He just needs to keep this up long enough for Steve to get out.

“Come on, Rogers, what good is all that serum if a little bump on the head is going to keep you down?”

The wall is edging closer to them now and Bucky can feel oil (or it might be blood) trickling down from the now rather large tear in his arm.

Realistically they probably have a few minutes left.

“I swear to God, Steve, if you die like this I am going to make sure they change your name to Captain Stupid.”

“You took all the stupid with you, remember?”

Bucky closes his eyes and sighs in relief at Steve’s weak smile. 

“Bucky, your arm!” 

Steve sounds alert now and when Bucky opens his eyes again Steve is scrambling to his feet and pushing his own weight against the wall. 

“I got this, Steve. You need to get out of here.”

Steve’s now got all his weight against the wall and, by some miracle, it’s actually moving back. 

“I told you,” Steve yells as he gives one final shove and the wall topples the other way. “I’m not losing you again. Now can we please get out of here?”

Bucky climbs to his feet, his left arm now hanging uselessly at his side. “Yeah, we can do that.”

They stumble outside, supporting each other as they go, until they’re clear of the building. The Quinjet is just touching down as they make it outside.

“Looks like the cavalry is here,” Steve murmurs, his speech slightly slurred as he places more weight on Bucky.

“Better late than never.”

* * *

When they’re finally en route back to the tower Bucky allows himself to sleep, Steve leaning heavily against him as a reassuring reminder that they both made it out alive.

He has no idea how much time has passed but when he next wakes up he’s in his bed (there had better not be any photos of anyone carrying him) and Steve is sitting in a chair beside him with his well known Worried Face in place. He still looks pale and there’s bandage around his head covering his wound but he’s awake and frowning which is a good sign, Bucky figures. 

The next thing Bucky is aware of is that his arm is gone. It’s not entirely a surprise given the state it was in but he finds himself missing it even though he hated it for so long after he got his memories back.

“Hey,” he says to Steve with a sleepy smile. “You’re looking better. Slightly.”

“I’m an idiot,” Steve says and Bucky can’t help but snort.

“You got no arguments from me there, pal. Which particular stupid thing are you talking about?”

Steve gestures at where Bucky’s missing arm should be. “I should have verified the intel. It’s my fault you lost your arm and I don’t even know how to begin to apologize for that.”

“Okay, I’m not denying the stupid part, but this isn’t your fault. I made the choice to go in there with you, and I’m glad I did. This? This is nothing. I’d rather lose both my arms and both my legs than lose you.”

“Bucky…”

“No, I mean it Steve. You’re the only good thing in my life. Always have been, even before the whole Captain America thing. Don’t think I wouldn’t do anything to keep you safe, okay?”

_I love you_

Steve’s face softens and he gives Bucky’s hand a squeeze. “I feel the same about you, okay? And you shouldn’t have to lose any limbs to keep me safe. I’ll be more careful with our intel if you promise me you’ll be careful with your... everything. Deal?”

Bucky nods. He’s getting sleepy again now and Steve looks ready to doze off too.

“Tony’s working on fixing your arm, by the way,” Steve says as he leans back in his chair, still keeping his hand wrapped tightly around Bucky’s. “Should have it back soon.”

Bucky hums and closes his eyes. Maybe later he’ll talk to Stark about some improvements. 

Anything to keep Steve safe.


End file.
